Mazher Mahmood was criticised by the judge in the trial of former N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos

The BBC has pulled a documentary on undercover journalist Mazher Mahmood - despite a judge throwing out an injunction application to stop it being broadcast.

Panorama was due to air an episode on Monday evening in which up to date images of the "Fake Sheikh" were to be broadcast.

A Court of Appeal judge had earlier thrown out an appeal by Mr Mahmood to block the broadcast of the show.

But the BBC replaced the programme with another episode of the documentary series at the last minute.

A spokesman told the Huffington Post: "The BBC had intended to broadcast Panorama, Fake Sheikh: Exposed tonight following the Court of Appeal’s decision earlier today to allow the BBC to broadcast images of Mazher Mahmood.

"Shortly before transmission Mr Mahmood’s lawyers submitted new information relating to one of the cases in the programme which, as a responsible broadcaster, the BBC needs to evaluate.

"Once this has been done we will broadcast Fake Sheikh: Exposed, including recent footage of Mr Mahmood, as planned."

The programme was intended to shed light on the methods used by the reporter who exposed various personalities while working at the now defunct News of the World using his disguise as a sheikh.

Mr Mahmood had launched a last minute challenge against a High Court judge's refusal on Friday to grant him an injunction over tonight's screening.

He claimed that revealing his current appearance would breach his human rights by exacerbating the existing risk to his safety caused by his investigative work and would impact upon his family life.

But, Lord Justice Elias and Lady Justice Sharp refused him permission to appeal, saying he had not shown any error in Sir David Eady's ruling.

Mr Mahmood was criticised after the collapse of the drugs trial of pop star Tulisa Contostavlos in July, when a judge said there were grounds to believe he had lied.

Mr Mahmood, who denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged, is currently suspended by The Sun and a number of cases in which he was set to be a witness have been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service while investigations continue

The injunction he sought would have covered any images taken since April 5 2006 not already in the public domain.

His lawyers said that he lived a reclusive life in secure accommodation with 24-hour surveillance and where his neighbours did not know his real identity.